Water Lettuce

Water Lettuce is a beautiful floating plant with soft, velvety leaves that look like... lettuce. But besides being a beautiful aquatic plants, it’s one of the fastest growing natural filters you can add to your pond, tub, or aquarium.

Why It’s great for goldfish systems:

Rapid Nutrient Absorption:
Water Lettuce aggressively absorbs nitrates, ammonium, and phosphates, stripping out the same nutrients that cause algae blooms and murky water. Under ideal warm, sunny conditions, its biomass can double every 5–10 days, making it an incredibly effective nutrient sponge for maintaining balanced, crystal-clear water.

Removes Heavy Metals & Contaminants:
Its long, dense root system acts like a living filter, capturing and absorbing heavy metals such as lead, copper, and zinc, as well as other dissolved pollutants. This makes Water Lettuce an excellent choice for natural water polishing and phytoremediation in ponds, tubs, or aquaponic systems.

Perfect for Goldfish Breeding:
The dangling root mass provides ideal spawning material for goldfish, eggs naturally cling to the fine roots, staying protected and well-oxygenated while they develop. The rosettes also offer shade and cover, giving fish a sense of safety and reducing stress in community ponds.

Thrives Indoors or Outdoors:
Water Lettuce grows beautifully in outdoor ponds or indoor aquariums when provided bright, overhead light and nutrient rich water. A strong LED grow light or suspended aquarium light helps maintain compact, vibrant rosettes with healthy root growth.

Effortless Growth:
Once established, Water Lettuce requires minimal care. It naturally multiplies by sending out daughter plants, forming a lush green mat that looks stunning from above while continuously filtering the water below. Simply thin out excess growth to prevent overcrowding and sustain optimal filtration.

important — invasive & legal note:

Salvinia Minima is an invasive aquatic plant outside its native range and can rapidly form dense mats that choke waterways and harm native wildlife. It is illegal to release Salvinia minima into natural waters, and several U.S. states regulate or prohibit its possession, sale, or release. Check your state’s aquatic plant rules before buying or transporting this plant.